Nikon Z9vs ZV-1 II
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Which should you buy?
Professional Sports & Wildlife — Nikon Z9 (2021): The Z9 redefined what professional mirrorless could be — no mechanical shutter, 45MP stacked BSI, and 8K RAW in the most rugged Z body.
Pocket Vlogging — ZV-1 II (2023): The best pocket vlogging camera — 1-inch sensor, ultrawide zoom, flip screen, and real-time Eye AF in a shirt pocket.
Who should buy what
Nikon Z9 (2021)
- You shoot professionally and need a camera body that handles everything without compromise
- You're a sports, wildlife, or commercial photographer who demands the absolute best
- You want a camera body that will remain state-of-the-art for the next decade
ZV-1 II (2023)
- You create vlog content solo and want reliable face tracking in a genuinely portable camera
- You want a wide zoom range for shooting variety without ever changing lenses
- You want clearly better image quality and stabilisation than a smartphone, simply packaged
Quick take: The nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the zv-1 ii is the most affordable; only the nikon z9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Nikon Z9 (2021) | ZV-1 II (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,499 | £649 |
| Sensor | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.7MP | 20.1MP |
| Video | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | Phase-detect + contrast, 315 points, Real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | 6-stop IBIS | Optical SteadyShot (OIS) |
| Burst Rate | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 15fps |
| Battery Life | 740 shots (CIPA) | ~260 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1340g body only | 292g |
| Dimensions | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm | 105.5 × 60.0 × 43.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | None |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Fixed zoom — 18–50mm f/1.8–4.0 equiv |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic input |
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